Weather whiplash causes setbacks for farmers

All someone has to do is look around area fields, and they can see it's been a very wet April.

WeatherWatch 12 meteorologist Luke Sampe met up with a Washington County farmer Friday who talked about the challenges he is facing trying to get a start to this year's growing season.

Rick Roden has farming in his blood.

"It's a family tradition, my grandpa is, my dad is. I wouldn't have it any other way," Roden said.

After a rain-soaked month of April, the third-generation farmer is getting eager to get back in his fields.

"We've got all the equipment ready. Everything's greased up. Tractor's oil is changed. We're ready to go, but it is just going to take some time," Roden said.

A delay in getting into his fields is thanks to the one thing he hoped and wished for so much -- rain.

"After last summer's drought, we're very appreciative of the moisture that we're getting now. It is approaching the end of April here, in a normal year we'd be at least scratching at the dirt with some equipment," Roden said.

It's been a weather whiplash for all farmers over the course of the past year -- from scorching heat and extreme drought to, now, record rain.

As Roden drove through and surveyed his waterlogged acreage, he said he just cannot afford anymore significant rain as May approaches.

"If we get 4 to 5 more inches here in the next week or two, that's going to delay us even more yet," Roden said.

The wettest start to the month of April has left ponds all across the 2,000-acre Roden family farmstead. They said it's going to take days of dry and windy weather before they can even think about getting into their fields.

Roden said despite a long wait, he'd like to see his tractors move out of the yard and into the fields by May 10. It's a setback he and countless other farmers have to take in stride.

"So maybe this is just Mother Nature's way of telling us to just wait a little bit," Roden said.

Aside from the flooded fields, colder-than-normal soil temperatures have also kept farmers from getting in any early planting.

Right now, there's still time to get the crops in the ground before you at home would notice any changes in prices or supply.

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